


Differing Varieties

by Estirose



Series: Tomorrow's Future [3]
Category: Highlander: The Series, The Tomorrow People (1992)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 1995-09-13
Updated: 1995-09-13
Packaged: 2018-04-20 14:15:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,237
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4790321
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Estirose/pseuds/Estirose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Greer and her husband, Michael, find themselves involved in a bombing investigation and meet a set of teenagers who aren't quite as ordinary as they seem.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Differing Varieties

The woman shrugged as the speaker finished the standard farewell speech. "We'd like to thank you for flying with United Airlines, and hope you have a good visit to London."

She was plain-looking. She didn't stand out in a crowd, and neither did the man next to her. She brushed back mousy-brown hair, and smiled at her husband. "Hey, Michael, wake up!"

"I'm awake, beloved," he said. "I'm just not used to these flights."

"I would have thought that you were more used to them than I was," she said.

Michael smiled. "You moved more than I did, Greer."

"Never overseas, Michael."

Michael grumbled about born travellers, and Greer smiled. As the plane gently landed, she mused about her recent experiences.

She'd gone to Sacramento to cheer up her friend, who had been depressed ever since she'd had to leave the Watchers - and him - behind due to becoming Immortal. She hadn't been expecting to find him in the trouble he was in - apparently due to befriending two Immortals. Michael had wanted to leave the Watchers, get away from the unpleasant experiences of the last two years. And he had. She guessed that part of it was finding out that one of the two Immortals he'd befriended had died in the Game.

So she had ended up in his life, and had urged him to remain. But he couldn't, and so she had found herself proposing to him to keep him focused. They'd married, and Michael had severed his ties. And then they had found themselves on this trip, to go where no one had expected them to go.

Michael had decided that he didn't want to be observed either, to be permanently recorded in the Chronicles as tended to happen to mortal spouses of Immortals. So, they were going to London.

She turned to her husband after they got their baggage. "I suppose that it's too late to say we really needed to go to Canada."

He shrugged. "I figured the farther away from Sacramento we got, the better. And you did agree that we might do well for London. After all, Canada and the U.S. are practically considered one country by the Organization."

She nodded, retrieving her passport.

He continued. "Besides, did I tell you that I found us a place in London?"

"No," she said, surprised. "Where?"

"I can't tell, exactly. I'd have to get a map of London. But I do have directions, and I do know it's relatively near a Underground station."

"That's good news," she said. "Or bad."

"Depends on your point of view," he agreed.

They found the Underground station under Heathrow and were lucky enough to catch the train that was already there.

****

The ride was surprisingly short, despite having to change lines twice. Greer shouldered her bags and left the train, her husband Michael behind her. "Where to-?" she asked before being interrupted by a loud bang nearby.

That was the last thing she remembered.

****

Greer groaned and opened her eyes. From the way she felt, with intense pain still lingering in her, she probably had died.

"We've got a live one," a voice said. Male, British, and somewhere out of her sight, she judged. A rescue worker of some sort. He came into sight. Definitely a rescue worker. There were bodies all around her, but somehow she didn't think any of them were breathing. Another man joined him, expertly checking her out for injuries.

"My husband?" she croaked.

The two men looked at each other. "Don't worry missus, don't try to talk either. We'll find your husband, but right now you need to be looked at," one of them, the man who had joined the first one, said.

"No doctors," she replied faintly.

****

They didn't follow her instructions, of course. She was taken to the nearest medic on a stretcher. "But I'm fine!" she protested. "I only got a little bit stunned."

The medic made a skeptical sound and continued to examining her. Finally, he turned to her. "You seem to be unhurt. You were near the blast you know. You were very lucky that you weren't killed."

"I have this lucky streak," she replied.

She talked to the medic and he okayed her release.

The police's questions were much harder to answer.

****

Greer didn't know it at the time of her interview with the police that there was another American nearby. But then, she wouldn't have been too happy to find out about him, either.

His name was William Damon, and he was a former general who worked for a security company. He was watching her thoughtfully through the one-way mirror. The man next to him was watching Greer carefully too.

As she got up to leave, General Roberts turned to his American colleague. "She's a suspicious one," he said.

"I agree," General Damon said. "But I'm not sure she has anything to do with the bombing. I get the impression that she's hiding the truth about something else."

"Her husband, a Michael Gardner, reports seeing a man running from the scene. But then, I have a report from a medical worker that the woman should be dead, and she's obviously not."

"Explosions do strange things," Damon said. Personally, if the woman was hiding something in the way of an extraordinary ability, he wasn't going to pry into it. He'd had enough prying with his last case.

****

"I'm glad that's over," Michael said. "I hope they catch the bastard."

"I hope so too," Greer agreed. "One more mortal bomber loose in the world. And I thought the Unabomer was bad."

"This is a good place for terrorists," Michael said. "We're in a big, busy city."

"Well, I would think that the terrorist would be worse here," Greer said. I just didn't think about it. Remember, I was just a block away from that lobbying office when that last one happened in Sacramento. Somehow I associate Sacramento with bombings, not London."

"Better get used to it, " Michael said gloomily.

Greer sighed.

****

General Damon returned home that evening to have a talk with his son. It was a good time to talk, because his wife was at a social event that he had not been able to attend, and his daughter was at a friend's flat for the evening.

Marmaduke Damon, known as "Megabyte" to his friends, didn't look any different than any other boy his age, nor did he act any different. No one, including him, would have guessed that Marmaduke had the ability to teleport.

After dinner was over, he approached his son. The teenager looked up from what he was reading. "Yes, Dad?"

"I need to talk to you - and Adam," the older Damon said.

"Why?"

 _Because I need assurances that one of you isn't behind it,_ Damon thought. Out loud he replied, "I'll tell you when he gets here." Marmaduke nodded, and he fell silent. His eyes glazed over, and he seemed he had totally forgotten everything but his father's command.

"He's coming," Marmaduke said. Damon tried to ready himself for Adam's arrival, but the flash of light unnerved him, as did the sudden presence of one more human being in a space where air had been only a moment before.

****

"It's possible," the young Australian said. "I mean, there could have been someone there before us."

"Could this someone survive the bomb blast?" Damon asked.

Adam shook his head. "We don't heal any faster than you do," he responded. "No Tomorrow Person would do this, anyway."

"I realize that you know each other well, but..."

"General," Adam said, shaking his head, "One of us could not have done it."

"You're sure?" Damon asked.

"Quite."

"They'd have to be able to kill," Marmaduke said.

"Megabyte's right," Adam said. "We can't kill, General. There is no way that one of us could have planted that bomb, anymore than Megabyte could have shot Colonel Masters."

Damon nodded. His son had been so silent about his attempted use of the gun. He'd figured that it was because Marmaduke had never used a gun before. But if there was a biological reason for it...

****

Greer cursed her healing abilities as she shed her ruined clothes. "Useless," she muttered, glaring at the bloodstains that didn't correspond with any wounds on her body. She'd healed hours ago, of course.

"Why couldn't I have been normal?" she asked aloud.

"Because you weren't born that way," her husband said. "You were born Immortal, isn't that the established theory?"

"Right at the moment, I don't care what the established theory is," Greer growled. "I want to stop ruining my clothes."

Michael reached into one of their suitcases and picked up Greer's sheathed rapier. "You are who you are," he said.

Greer snatched the rapier from his hands. "I'm not too terribly fond of this thing, either."

Michael shrugged. "It's a part of you," he said.

"No, it's supposed to be a part of me," she replied. "It's not, yet."

"And how much have you fought?"

"Michael," Greer said, "You're reverting. You sound like one of them. But to answer your question, no one but Leland. Fortunately."

"It's my training," he said. "It's yours as well."

"Mine went out when Joe Dawson started treating me like a captive butterfly."

Michael opened his mouth, and then closed it.

****

"Jim," Damon said to his assistant, "who's on the list for today?"

His assistant looked at the clipboard. "A Miss Smith, a Mr. Sullivan, and a Ms. Lewis."

Damon looked at the clipboard. "The first two I know about, but I didn't schedule Ms. Lewis." The assistant shrugged. "General Roberts put her on the schedule, sir."

Damon sighed. "Very well. Let's see if another round proves that she's not who we're looking for."

Jim nodded, and left to get the car ready. Damon thought he heard a clap of air, the result of someone teleporting in. He wasn't surprised when Adam walked in.

"After last night, I wondered if you needed some help," the teenager said.

"Not really, Adam," the General said. "But if you'd like to hang around, you're welcome to."

"Thank you, General Damon," Adam said politely.

****

Greer was astonished to see a pair of Americans outside her rooms at the boarding house. She was further astonished to find out that they had to do with security.

"Is there something that I can help you gentlemen with?"

"Yes, I'd like to speak to you and your husband about the bombing yesterday."

"My husband isn't in," Greer said, but I'd be glad to answer any questions that I can."

"Thank you, Ms. Lewis," one of them, the one who had introduced himself as Bill Damon, said.

Greer was tired of the security office, and tired of answering questions.

"Sacramento, California. My husband and I had been friends for years, but we decided to take the plunge and marry, finally. We were married by a Justice of the Peace there. You can check our marriage certificate. We stayed there for a month after."

"Congratulations on your marriage," Damon said, and then continued with, "So, you haven't been to Chicago lately?"

"Eight years ago. Haven't been back since, except in transit on a flight."

"So, what are you planning to do here?" The other man, Jim by name, asked.

"Find work," Greer said. "We've both been wanderers, and we thought we'd try our luck with Britain. It has the decided advantage of not being the United States."

"That is, if the British government lets us," Michael said.

Greer nodded. "I've been all over the U.S., General, ever since I was 18. I've had some very exciting work, and some boring work. I've been in sales, and I've been in research. It doesn't matter to me. Eventually I'll get bored and move on. Britain was a challenge."

They talked some more, and then the two government agents let them go. They talked as they walked away from the building.

"That took forever," Greer said. "I thought that they'd never get tired of asking us questions."

Michael shrugged. "I think it was worth it. Besides, this way we know they're looking for bombers, not Immortals."

"Yes, I agree. I just hope that they don't come across us looking for the bomber."

****

"General Damon!" General Roberts said.

Damon looked up from his desk. Roberts looked smug. "I take it you found something?"

Wordlessly, Roberts laid a videotape and a photograph on Damon's desk. Damon took a look at the photo. It was a picture of a sword, a rapier if he guessed right. "What's this?" Damon asked.

"It's a rapier. Sixteenth century to be exact. I had an expert look at the picture."

"What does a rapier have to do with bombings?"

"Ask Mrs. Lewis. Or Mr. Gardner. It was found in their bedroom."

"Whether or not the two own a rapier has nothing to do with whether they bombed the Underground! Unless you're hoping for a charge of smuggling, of course."

"I doubt that they are stupid enough to have bomb makings in their bedroom. However, the owning of the rapier poses plenty of questions."

"I still don't see it as evidence," Damon said.

"And what about their tattoos?" Roberts asked.

"Tattoos?"

"Identical ones, sir, on their left wrists. Some kind of bird within a shield, is my best guess," Jim said.

"Has anyone run it through their files yet?" Damon asked.

"No, they're still running it," Roberts said. "But I will bet you, 9 chances out of 10, that they belong to a cult."

Damon shook his head. Maybe he was picking up some of his son's telepathic powers, but he had a feeling that the two were innocent. Maybe he just needed someone to confirm. He turned to the intercom and had Adam summoned.

****

"I agree, General," Adam said. "They were not responsible. Neither were the other people here today."

"Did you pick anything up?"

"Mostly what came out, or feelings. I didn't want to look any further," Adam said. "I didn't need to."

"Did anyone seem like they were hiding something?" Damon asked.

The telepath smiled. "General, they were all hiding something. For that matter, you hide things. All the secrets you know. I hide my abilities so that someone like Masters doesn't try to exploit us," he said with a shudder.

"Understood. What next?"

Adam shrugged.

****

"What didn't you tell him?" Megabyte asked Adam when Adam had returned to the spaceship.

"I got the impression about one of the people that he was interviewing... that they had a secret that was as extraordinary as our own."

"That would have to be pretty extraordinary," Megabyte agreed. "So, you want to talk to them yourself?"

The other teen nodded and then lay back against the circular entryway in the spaceship. "I know it's one of two people. Actually, I got the feeling from both, but one **feels** different. The woman of the couple."

Both of them registered, but paid no attention to, a bright flash of light. "What are you two doing here?" Lisa asked when she had finished teleporting.

"We're dealing with a bombing that happened in London," Megabyte said, boastfully.

Lisa ignored the boast. "You mean the one that happened a couple of days ago?"

Adam nodded. "General Damon had me sitting in to get impressions."

Megabyte added, "Yeah, and we're trying to find out what two of the people are hiding."

"Isn't that an invasion of privacy?" Lisa asked, shocked.

"I didn't actually do much skimming," Adam said defensively.

"I didn't mean that, I meant finding out what's different about the couple," Lisa said. "Certainly that has nothing to do with the bombs."

"Lisa, think about it," Adam said. "What if they're a different variety of Tomorrow Person? An older generation?"

"Did you try asking them?"

"No, I was going to," Adam said. "When we went to see them."

"I'll go with you," Lisa said. "Just to prove that we're not total idiots."

General Damon looked at the fax in his hands. It showed a clear design of a bird in a circle, much as Jim and General Roberts had mentioned. He read the rest of the report. "This is the symbol of a cult/secret society called the WATCHERS. These Watchers observe and record the lives of certain individuals, reason unknown. This cult has been in existence for centuries and members in the current era are marked with the cult's symbol on their right or left wrists, most commonly the left. This cult is considered harmless except for a possible small splinter group who is intent on violent acts upon individuals, reason also unknown."

"Typical cult," Damon sighed. The door opened, and General Roberts walked in. "Here," Damon said. "You're partially right."

"I thought so," Roberts said.

"But that doesn't mean that Lewis or Gardner are part of the splinter group, just that they are part of this cult," Damon said.

****

As Damon, Roberts, and Jim were having a discussion about secret societies, one ex-member of the Watchers was having a walk in the park. Greer was surveying the surrounding area not only to get more familiar with that part of London, but to find escape routes just in case the Watchers tumbled on to her move.

She'd found herself also contemplating the questions that had arisen the fateful night when she'd become Immortal in the warehouse. Loyalty to her own kind had arisen after her change, conflicted with the loyalty she felt she owed to the Watchers.

**March 1982, Los Angeles**

She huddled beside her mentor. "Why are we here?" she said Helen. The elder Watcher shushed the eighteen year old. Her normal smile was absent as she seriously considered the empty space around her.

Greer looked around. She was used to the cold, but something sent shivers down her spine. The deserted quadrangle was conspicuously empty except for the two Watchers.

Suddenly, it was empty no more. Two men warily circled each other with swords. Greer recognized one of them as Antony, the Immortal that Helen watched.

In fact, it was because of Antony that Greer had met Helen. Purely by accident, the teenager had stumbled upon one Antony's fights. Even after he had departed victorious, the teenager had stayed nearby, stunned and fascinated.

It hadn't taken too long for Helen to recruit her as a Watcher.

And here she was, spending the evening at a deserted quadrangle at the University of California, Los Angeles, watching two men have it out with swords.

It looked like soon that they'd have a victor. And then they'd have to chronicle the loss of the loser, if one died, and put one more fight into their history.

**The Present**

Greer snapped out of her remembrances to register two flashes of light. Suddenly, where nobody had been moments before, were a young man and a young woman.

The young man looked around. "Shall we go?"

The young woman nodded.

Greer still had the instincts that had made her a good Watcher. And she was curious about these teens. As amazing as Immortals were, they certainly didn't appear out of thin air! And neither of the two were Immortals. She would have sensed them immediately.

The teens moved off, and Greer followed them.

Michael was reading the newspaper when someone knocked on the door. He cursed, and then opened the door to find two young people standing on the other side. "Yes," he said, drawing the word out.

"Mr. Gardner?" the older of the two said. He had a definite Australian accent. Michael wondered what was going on, why he was getting so much attention. Of course, they could be Watchers. The organization could have changed its mind. He'd heard, before he left, that the organization was getting more lenient towards those who broke those vows. No names had been put to the rumors, but Greer had told him that Joe Dawson was involved.

He made a basic signal of Recognition that even the earliest trainee learned. The two at the door didn't react to the small gesture, so they probably weren't Watchers. Of course, they could be renegades. Or journalists.

"I'm Mr. Gardener. What do you want?"

"We want to talk to you about the bombing," the young man replied.

Michael inwardly groaned. His instinct was right. Journalists.

"We're not journalists," the young man continued. "We just want to talk to you. I'm Adam, and this is Lisa."

Michael did not miss the warning expression that came over the face of the young woman.

****

The two Tomorrow People walked into the small parlour. The man, Mr. Gardner, had only grudgingly let them in. Lisa thought that although Adam's response to the man's unspoken question had gotten them in, she wished it hadn't been necessary for him to pick up the man's surface thoughts. She sent him a stern look, and he replied. _I think we have him intrigued_ , Adam sent to her.

After the four settled down at the table, Mr. Gardner said, "So, why do you want to know about the bombing from us?"

The other looked at Adam. He replied, "We're working, unofficially, with General Damon's office about the bombing."

Michael shrugged. "I gave my statement to the police, and everyone else. I was there when the bomb went off, my wife was with me, we were both very lucky and neither of us was seriously hurt. I saw a man, medium height, brown hair, running off. I was more concerned about my wife."

"Where is your wife now?" Adam asked.

"She's off, running about the neighbourhood," Mr. Gardner replied.

 _Adam, stay off the subject of his wife_ , Lisa thought.

 _If she has something to do with the bombing, or us, we need to know_ , Adam replied.

****

Greer had followed the young people up the steps of the boarding house where she lived. That was where she lost them. _Fine Watcher you're making_ , she thought. She removed the keys for her room from her pocket and went inside. Then she discovered that she hadn't lost the young people after all, and a delighted smile crossed her face despite her best efforts to hide it. And then everyone was staring at her. She took the initiative. "Excuse me, I didn't realize my husband was having guests."

****

Michael sat back and looked at his wife. Whatever was up with her, she was obviously amazed and elated about something. "Oh. Yes. This is Adam and Lisa. They want to talk to us about the bombing."

"Again?" she asked, some of her energy apparently diminishing. Then she lit up again. Michael wondered why she was so cheerful.

"Again."

"Oh, yes, I saw you two coming here from the park. I was there, I mean. I practically followed you all the way here. Nice coincidence, wasn't it?"

 _What's Greer trying to tell me? Could they be pre-Immortals? All three of them?_ he thought. Then he was pretty sure he saw her wink. _Yep. Now she's getting all proud of her ability to detect them._ "So, what do you want to know?" she asked them.

Michael watched as Greer drew them into conversation.

****

Lisa and Adam watched the married couple. _You think she saw us teleporting in?_

 _Could be_ , Adam answered. _She has that look_.

 _That could be trouble_ , Lisa thought.

"Did you see the bomber at all?" Adam asked.

Greer shook her head. "I didn't even know anything was happening. One moment I was taking care of my luggage, the next thing I remember I was being mistaken for a corpse. Although, I must say it felt like it. Have you ever had any experiences like that? When your world has unmistakably changed?"

 _She knows_ , Lisa responded. _She definitely knows. But why is she asking all these questions?_

 _I don't know._ Adam replied. _She's not one of us._

 _How can you be so sure?_ Lisa asked.

_I can tell. Unless she's masking something._

****

 _That's right, Greer, babble on,_ Michael thought. If Greer couldn't handle her first encounter with a couple of pre-Immortals without telling them outright what they were due to become, they were in trouble. You stop being a Watcher and you forget how to keep secrets. He watched the two carefully. If Greer could keep her mouth shut about their future status, here was a chance to actually get to see common traits between the two. He could submit the material to the nearest administrator or group, and they could keep Watch on the two. It shouldn't be hard to keep track of two friends with different accents wandering around London and working for some intelligence agency.

"Well, at least you have some idea of how it feels," Michael said, taking Greer's conversation to a less obvious direction. "And I hope, with my description that you'll catch the bomber. With the injuries sustained by both me and Greer, we're not exactly fans of this person."

Greer frowned at him. He gave her a signal to wait for a minute, and she frowned at him more.

"I understand," Adam said after a moment of silence. Lisa nodded.

"What do you feel about it?" he asked.

****

 _What is he getting at?_ Lisa asked Adam.

 _I don't know. It's like they're going after two different topics,_ Adam answered.

 _Like what?_ Lisa asked. _They both know what's going on, maybe they're taking different tacks._

Adam chose his words carefully. "I don't know. None of us likes this person, but we're not ready to tear him limb from limb."

Michael sighed and looked at Greer. She looked back, raising an eyebrow. "Understandable," she said. "Could you tell if a bomb was going to blow?"

"Huh?"

"Sorry if I'm getting philosophical," Greer said. "Or maybe it's wishful thinking. I mean, it would be good if someone could detect bombs. Someone who isn't a dog."

 _Not only is she close, It's clear she knows what we are,_ Lisa told Adam.

"Someone who could predict them first, rather than have to recover from them."

"Greer!" Michael hissed. He turned to their guests. "Um, excuse us, please..."

The two teens watched as Michael hauled Greer out into the bedroom.

****

"What do you think that you were doing out there? They're not supposed to know that they won't die, yet!" Michael said angrily.

Greer looked blankly at him. "What are you talking about?"

"Those kids! They're going to be Immortals, aren't they? So, why are you telling them about Immortality?"

"Oh," Greer said comprehending. "Michael, they're not going to be Immortal."

"They're not? So what are you doing, laying in broad hints for?"

"They're not ordinary kids. I am trying to lay interesting hints so that they'll maybe open up, tell us what they are. I kept wondering about your odd questions." "Well, now you understand. And now I understand. So, now what?"

"Watch. I'll coax the secret out of them yet..."

****

 _I think they're as confused as we are,_ Adam said to Lisa while they waited for Greer and Michael to come back. _Maybe. But what are their motives?_ Lisa replied.

 _I think we can trust them,_ Adam said.

_Adam, why?_

_I just have this feeling. That they're hiding something too, that they're afraid to reveal it, just like we don't tell everyone who we are._

_Adam, I hope you know what you're getting us into..._

****

Greer led her husband into the room. He was silent now, having basically decided that she would be the one dealing with their visitors. "Sorry about that. We're not used to company."

"That's all right," Adam replied.

"Yeah. Well, personally, I really don't like this guy. I mean, we get all this Unabomer stuff back in Sacramento, and that's a pretty sick guy. Personally, if someone shot this bastard, I'd be very happy. I don't know if he's got any reasons or not, but bombing people - I mean, taking human lives to prove a point?"

"And what would happen if you did encounter him?" Adam asked.

"I have no idea," she replied. "Probably I'd feel like spearing him to death with a sword. Through the heart. But you're here for another reason than my feelings on this bomber, aren't you?"

The teens exchanged looks.

"You can tell, can't you, that I'm not normal? That's why you're here. Don't be surprised. I've noticed people are drawn towards the strange, even if they don't understand what they're attracted to."

_She has to know._

A brief flash of light filled the room, and Megabyte said, "Know what?"

The other two groaned. Michael just sat there, mouth gaping. Greer said, quietly, "See? I told you!"

And then the two groups looked at each other for a few minutes.

****

Michael sat back as Adam began to explain things to Greer, who was fascinated by all that was happening. Come to think of it, he was, too.

"As you can already guess, we can teleport - disappear from one place, reappear instantly in another," Adam said. "We can also do other things - we can talk to each other using only our thoughts, we can read peoples' minds, some of us can heal, or open locks with our minds, or see into the future."

Michael was impressed. He could see Greer was even more impressed. She was whistling. "Do you know why you have these powers?" she asked. Michael knew why shd had. If these people could be linked into the Immortals' own Game...

"We're the next stage in human evolution," Adam replied. "We're what humanity is supposed to evolve into, eventually. A race of peace-loving teleports." "Peace-loving?" Michael asked.

"There's a part that Adam forgot to mention," Lisa said. "We can't kill."

"Not at **all**?" Greer asked incredulously.

"Ask Megabyte here what happened when he tried to shoot someone," Adam said.

"It didn't work?"

The redheaded American shook his head. "Not at all."

" **Wow**." Greer said. "This is absolutely amazing."

They all sat in silence for a few seconds, and then Megabyte said, "What about you two?"

"If any of you read my mind, you can tell why I'm different."

"But we didn't," Lisa said. "Why would we?"

"I picked up a bit while I was in General Damon's office," Adam said.

"Yeah, and Lisa chewed him out for doing even that," Megabyte said.

"That's good to hear," Greer said. Michael could tell that he and Greer were in complete agreement on that.

****

Ms. Lewis leaned back in her chair as the three teens watched.

 _She took us rather calmly,_ Megabyte said to the others.

 _She's a good and decent person,_ Adam replied.

"My story is going to be a little more complex than your own, and there are things that I must leave out of it at the moment, as they are not my secrets to tell."

"We understand," Adam replied, shooting a glance at Megabyte.

"My given name is Georgina Annette Lewis, though everyone calls me Greer. You three are welcome to call me that, by the way. I was born about December 23, 1963, but I don't know exactly because I was found in a park on Christmas Eve. I grew up in Fairbanks, Alaska, where I was found.

"All of that will check out, if General Damon looks. He will also find out that I am married to Michael Arthur Gardner, that I have held many jobs over the years, and that I have paid all of my income taxes.

"All of these things are normal, and may not be relevant. But I am a normal person. I cry, I love, I hate. The only difference is that I heal fast, that I can't get sick, that I can't die."

"You **can't die?** " Megabyte said. "That's amazing!"

Greer shook her head sadly. "Not to me, it isn't."

"How come? It would be everybody's dream to live forever!"

"Not with the baggage that comes attached, they wouldn't."

"What's the difference?" Adam asked.

"My particular kind of Immortality - there may be other kinds that I'm not aware of - is shared with about a thousand others at the moment. The thing is, we're engaged trying to kill each other, to whittle down our numbers until only one remains."

"You're kidding," Megabyte said.

"Unfortunately, I'm not. And to answer your next question, I can be killed. I just won't die of disease, old age, or most wounds."

Adam shook his head. "So, how old do Immortals of your kind run?"

Greer put her chin on her fists and looked thoughtful. "The youngest? I'd guess about eighteen. The oldest is at least five thousand."

The three teens looked at each other. _Did I hear her right? Five_ _ **thousand**_ _?_ Megabyte asked.

 _You heard the same I did_ , Lisa replied. Out loud she said, "So, how old are you?" "As I told you, thirty-two. I only became Immortal about two years ago."

"'Became' Immortal?" Adam asked. _It sounds a lot like breaking out,_ he said to Lisa and Megabyte. "You see, each of us grows up normal, but at some point, we suffer a violent death which triggers our Immortality. For me, it was electrocution in a warehouse. A lot of the early times, it was through combat or other reasons involving weapons. I remember hearing one woman faked it by jumping off of a tower. She was trying to lure someone into thinking she was a new one. Sometimes, we get driven to suicide by our biology so that we change, or at least that's how the theory goes."

"Is your biology anything like that?" Mr. Gardner asked.

"Michael! Now you're prying," Greer said.

"You started it," Michael replied.

 _Well, they are married,_ Adam said, when Megabyte looked at him.

 _And I guess they were close friends before that,_ Lisa added.

"You could say that we're similar," Adam said to the couple. "We call it 'breaking out'. But there's nothing violent about it. Maybe feelings of being different, or strange feelings that are not your own, but nothing like what you go through."

"How can you tell when you've changed? When you've broken out?" Greer asked.

Adam smiled. "It's very hard to miss."

"Guess it's easier to explain that than why you're not dead. I had to have the concept explained to me several times," Greer said, smiling.

Adam nodded.

Greer leaned back and smiled at the trio. "You're far more gifted than us. True, we can't get sick - that's one of the advantages of being Immortal that I actually like - or grow old, but what is that compared to being unable to kill?"

"That's what's attractive to you?" Megabyte asked incredulously. "Not anything else?"

Greer nodded, and removed something from her trenchcoat. Adam tensed momentarily, and he could tell the others did too. Greer smiled sheepishly and put a sword on the table. "I guess you wouldn't be used to this."

"Wow. What is it?" Megabyte asked.

"A sword. To be exact, a rapier. You see, this is what I must carry around with me for the rest of my life, if I want to survive."

Megabyte was the only one of the trio to reach out and touch the rapier's handle. The other two looked at it, not daring to do anything more.

To Adam, the sword on the table looked - repulsive. He suspected that most of his understanding of violence had gone away when he had broken out, but some instinctive understanding must have remained.

Some of his dislike must have shown on his face, for Greer said sympathetically, "I can tell you don't like it."

"It's - evil," the teen said. Megabyte and Lisa nodded. Greer replaced the sword in its scabbard.

"I'm not it's first owner. I'm not even its first **Immortal** owner - the lady who taught me about Immortality gave it to me." "So it's got a blood-laden history."

"It's got a very bad history."

The whole room fell silent. Then Michael said, "Are we all satisfied?"

The teens and Greer nodded almost simultaneously. Then Adam, looking thoughtful said, "I think you should tell General Damon about what you are."

Greer looked skeptical. "I'm not sure that's a good idea."

"It is," Megabyte said.

 _We're going to have to do better than that, you guys,_ Lisa said.

 _Let me try,_ Adam replied. "We already trust him with ours. I think if you trust him with yours, he can clear you and keep your secret."

Greer traded a look with her husband. "All right, we'll try."

****

Greer leaned back in the chair in General Damon's office. Michael sat nearby, and Megabyte and Adam had joined them. The General himself was thoughtfully considering their story. Greer knew she'd probably resort to the old trick of cutting herself if the General refused to believe. Megabyte had explained to her that his little unintentional demonstration of his abilities had made his dad a believer.

"All right," he finally said. "So, you can't die."

"Most ways, anyway," Greer said.

The General nodded. "If my son thinks you're trustworthy, then I'll assume you are not part of the bombing."

"Well, other than being there...."

"Other than being in the wrong place at the right time, I know," the General said. "Is there a possibility that the bombing was directed at you? To try to kill you off?"

"I don't think so, General," Greer replied. "Anybody who knew what I am would know that I couldn't be killed by a bomb blast."

"So no Immortals are after you," Damon said thoughtfully. "Would the - Watchers be?"

Greer and Michael mutually gasped and fell silent. Finally, Greer was able to speak. "I don't know - and how do you know about the Watchers anyway?"

"That tattoo that you have on your wrist. It corresponds to a secret society on file called the Watchers. Obviously, the file is correct."

"The file is correct. But if you know about Watchers, how come you don't know about the Immortals they watch?" Greer asked, mystified.

"Because we didn't know who they were watching, other than random targets."

"Well, now you know."

"Greer," Adam said, interrupting the conversation, "if Watchers watch Immortals and you're an Immortal, what are you doing in the Watchers?"

"Good point, Adam, I'm not. Neither is Michael here. We're both ex-Watchers. I left when I became Immortal, Michael left a month or so ago to marry me."

"So we have two ex-Watchers here. How did you get in this society, anyway?" Damon said.

"Well, both my parents, all of my grandparents, and quite a few of my ancestors were Watchers. For me, it's a family tradition," Michael said.

"And for me," Greer said, remembering her past, "it was quite different...."

**June, 1981**

The teenager lightly drew her coat around her as she took a shortcut through the park. It was early evening, and she was alert to every sound around her. After all, she was quite alone.

She had thought that the clanking sounds were chains rattling on doors. Another reason to be careful, she thought. She instinctively turned towards the sound, almost being pulled towards it. After all, she had a civic duty to perform.

Or so her reasoning went.

When she got up close, she stopped. There were two grown men, with swords. Greer had heard of dueling, but she didn't apply it to this place and time. After all, she lived in Fairbanks in 1981, not 1781 or another time like that.

Of course, the two men were intent upon their swordfight and didn't see her. She was tempted to turn away. After all, if these two men were having harmless fun, it was not up to her to bug them.

The swordfight suddenly came to an end. A rather spectacular end, as one opponent lopped the other's head off.

Then she was too frightened to scream. And the trees were exploding around her.

She cried for a while after the victor left, and then, not looking up, she mumbled, "I wasn't dreaming. I wasn't dreaming. My god, there's a dead man on the ground."

"No, you weren't dreaming," a voice said. "There is a man on the ground."

At first, she thought she was hearing things. Then she looked up to see a woman leaning over her.

"What's your name?"

Greer said it almost automatically. "Georgina. Georgina Lewis."

The woman smiled gently. "Georgina. My name is Helen Pantuso, and I'm going to tell you a story."

****

**The Present**

"...That's how I got involved in the Watchers," Greer said. "Helen hung around Fairbanks, and when I turned 18, she brought me into the Society. Watchers and Immortals go through a somewhat similar training process - both groups have mentor who tutor the young ones. Helen was the one who taught me Watcher ways - the woman who taught me about being an Immortal was named Alberta."

"So, you're an ex-Watcher who happens to be Immortal, and Immortals can only die certain ways. Is there anything else extraordinary about you that I should know about?" Damon said.

The woman shrugged. "I'm left-handed," she said with a smile.

He found himself smiling back, amused at her statement, and nodding. "Noted."

"Anyhow, I don't think it was my kind that did this. Sure, any of us could have survived the bomb, from what I can tell, but I didn't sense any of them," Greer said.

"'Sense' any of them?" Damon said. He didn't want to pry too much into this woman's life - he had a feeling that she'd resent it even more than Adam and the rest of the Tomorrow People would. But some information was necessary.

"Sorry," she said. "We put out a kind of a field - other Immortals can sense this field. That's how we tell when we run into each other."

Damon nodded in understanding. "So, it's not an Immortal."

"It could possibly be," Michael said.

"No, it couldn't," Greer replied.

"Oh, yes it could," Michael replied. "You **died** in the bombing."

"I suppose I must have," Greer replied. "But I don't remember it."

"Wait a minute - you **died**?"

"Temporarily."

"Immortals can die, but they don't stay dead too often," Michael explained. "They heal too fast."

"I must have- I just didn't feel it," Greer said.

Michael nodded at his wife. "Something told me that he might be Immortal," he said. "I couldn't put my finger on it, but I instinctively felt that he could be one."

"Is there any way that you could find out if he was Immortal?"

Michael leaned back thoughtfully. "I could call in a favor - I know a few people, back in the states - or I could be dutiful and find the local Watchers and see if they have anything on him."

Damon nodded. "I wouldn't mind their help. I could provide details on the bombings, and the only other sighting of the bomber. You're not the first to describe him, Michael, but your description fits the other one," Damon said.

"So, you do have an idea of what he looks like?" Greer said.

Damon nodded. In the process, a thought occurred to him. "Do you two, personally, know of any Immortals that could be mass murderers?"

The two ex-Watchers looked at each other disbelievingly, and then Greer started to laugh hysterically. Michael joined in. Damon sighed and said, "What did I say?"

"Sorry, General," Michael apologized when they had both stopped laughing, "but by legal definition, most Immortals **are** mass murderers. There are very few that haven't killed at least one person."

"You'd define your wife as a murderer?" Damon asked incredulously.

"I wouldn't, but the law would," Michael said.

"I killed another Immortal two years ago," Greer said. "It's kind of hard to explain, but in some ways, we're compelled to kill each other. That's why I carry a sword - it's my only way of defending myself."

Damon thought he was beyond surprise when he'd discovered what his son was. Obviously, he wasn't. In an attempt to gain control of the situation, he said, "Okay, you're all murderers. What I wanted to know if any of you were into the mass killing of non-Immortals."

"Quite a few, actually . We're just like mortals - good and evil and inbetween."

"Yes, and neither of us knows all of them," Michael said.

Damon nodded. He'd pried enough, and he certainly wasn't sure if he wanted to hear anything more. "Wait a moment, and I'll get you a copy of the sketch. I'd like you to confirm that this is the man you saw before you send it out."

Michael nodded. Damon went out for a minute, found the copies of the sketch that they were distributing, and went back inside.

****

Greer had been looking at her husband for the last few minutes. He'd been looking at her, too, rather expectantly. "He's taking this rather well," she said.

"He had to deal with us, first," Adam said.

"Yeah, but you're not guilty of murder. You will **never** be guilty of murder."

"That's true. Are you sure you have a compulsion to kill?"

"Well, yes and no. It's very complicated. I'm not sure if I can explain."

A moment later, Damon came back into the room. "Look at this sketch. Is this the man you saw?"

"Yes," Michael said.

"That's a sketch from Los Angeles, and I'm going to give you several copies to send on, on the condition that they get returned."

Greer took the sketch from her husband's hands. While her husband was nodding, she idly took a look at it. She gasped. When all the attention in the room was turned towards her, she explained, "You're not going to have to send this out. I recognize him. He's an Immortal..."

**Los Angeles, 1982**

The fight was over. Greer huddled closer to Helen as Antony fell to the concrete of the quadrangle. His opponent leered at him, enjoying his triumph of the fighter. And then he swung his sword.

It was over. Antony was dead. Helen turned around, pain on her face, and walked off. Greer followed.

"To be defeated by a punk such as Schlafer," Helen said mournfully. "Come, I have to talk to Schlafer's Watcher. And then you get to see what happens after your Immortal loses."

****

**The Present**

"Arthur Schlafer," Greer said. She paused, and then looked up at Damon. "He wasn't good at swordfighting, but he did know how to fight dirty, and that's how he won over Antony. Granted, Antony was only about three hundred, but Schlafer wasn't over a hundred. I think he passed one hundred a year or two ago. He also wasn't a terrorist or a bomber at that time. A bully-boy, yes."

"You're positive?"

"Immortals rarely forget," Greer said. "Our memories are enhanced, too, when we become what we are. Certain people have worse memories than others - my teacher Alberta was rather forgetful for an Immortal."

"Great. Well, now that we know that he's Immortal, what do we do now?"

"Is there any pattern that he repeats?" Michael asked. "Obviously, his pattern has changed since Greer last saw him."

"Let me check. Was he going by Arthur Schlafer when you last saw him?"

"No, I think he was going by the name Nicolas Milligan," Greer said.

"I'll see if we can find that alias," Damon said. "Roberts owes me a favor after dragging me into this."

"It may not be still valid. Remember, I last saw him in 1982."

"It's worth a try. Thank you for your time, Mr. Gardner, Ms. Lewis. I'll let you know if I find anything."

****

To Greer's almost total surprise, it didn't take long to find Schlafer. Only two days had passed between the time she had talked to General Damon and when she found Megabyte popping into the small parlour with the news. She was talking to Lisa, since her husband was rather taken with the quiet young woman.

"Got you on messenger duty, huh?" she teased him gently.

Megabyte grimaced. "He figured I might be less conspicuous."

"I take it he's found him," she said. Lisa excused herself to use the restroom.

The young man nodded. "He wanted to talk to you first, since this guy is your kind."

"To see if there are any precautions. Sensible," she said thoughtfully.

"Yeah, well he's also a little worried that he'll move on."

"Then we should hurry," Greer said, picking up her sword.

"I'll take you there. But one thing," Megabyte said.

"What?" Greer asked.

"Don't tell him that I know about the guy's plans. I mean, I read his mind, he didn't tell me."

Greer raised an eyebrow. "Okay."

****

Damon was pleased when Greer Lewis reappeared with his son by her side. Greer herself looked surprised and entranced with her unexpected and unusual trip.

"Ms. Lewis, I'm glad that you could come," he said. He gestured to a chair on the other side of the desk. "I'm sure you can help me with this."

"You found him, I'm told."

"Yes. I was wondering if you could tell me anything more about him. Habits, anything like that."

"I'm afraid I can't. He wasn't my assignment. I didn't have an assignment - and after seeing what happened to Antony and Helen, I made sure I never did. I'm what's called a temp - I watched other people's assignments for a day, or maybe a week, on rare occasions, a month. I don't know a whole lot about any of my assignments, except for the rare few that I decided to learn more about."

"Well, there goes that idea."

"But, I did get an idea of his general disposition from that one confrontation."

"That's good. Now, do you think he's one to leave after he's done what he's going to do?"

"I couldn't tell, really. He challenged Antony, and he certainly showed up for that fight, and left the area after."

"We have an address, he hasn't left yet, but I think he will soon."

"What's the address?"

"I can't tell you."

"Look, General Damon, I may be a civilian, but I'm also an Immortal. He's an Immortal too. We can take care of our own business." "With all due respecct, he's also possibly responsible for a series of bombs. We want a live suspect, not a dead, decapitated murder victim."

Greer sighed. "I wasn't going to kill him!"

"I'm sorry. I can't tell you."

"Drat," Greer said. "All right, if you want to handle him your way, you can. Just don't be surprised if he finds a way to get away."

"We'll do our best," Damon said.

Once Megabyte had transported her home, she said to him, "Did you happen to notice an address?"

Megabyte nodded. "I don't think he'd be too happy if I gave it to you, though," he replied.

"As much as I understand his position, there are things that must be handled between Immortals. Besides, all this talk about motives gives me an idea."

"What are you going to do?" Megabyte asked, clearly fascinated.

"Challenge him to a duel, of course."

"You can do that?" the Tomorrow Person asked, amazed.

"Of course I can. Immortals can be pretty old-fashioned, you know. Come to think of it, Watchers are too. Do you know that higher-ups don't allow the use of video cameras?"

"You're kidding."

"Nope. So give me the address, okay? This way, he'll stick around longer."

Megabyte gave her the address and vanished. Shortly after, her husband came in the door, Lisa by his side. He had apparently, by the way they were taking, taken her to lunch. "You look happy."

"Yes," Greer said. "I have this guy's address. I'm not supposed to know it, but I got it off of Megabyte, who isn't supposed to know it either. But now I have the address, I'm going to challenge him."

"Challenge him how?" Michael wanted to know.

"I don't know. How does one challenge?"

"You've never challenged?" Lisa asked.

"I've been in one fight, he challenged me, I've never had to challenge anyone."

"This is going to be fun. How about 'I've come for your head'?"

"I don't want to fight him immediately!"

"Do you want to fight him at all?"

"Of course I do. He killed Antony, who was a very good man."

Michael sighed.

****

Greer came to the address that Megabyte had specified. Once there, she settled unobtrusively against a lightpole across the street. She noted with amusement that she wasn't the only one keeping an eye on Schlafer's address. Just a few feet away, a car sat with two men in it. They must have been British Intelligence. Another man leaned against a wall and read the Times. _Must be Schlafer's Watcher,_ she thought. She pointed the three out to Lisa. She was enjoying Lisa's company too, and agreed with her husband that Lisa might make a fine Watcher.

Schlafer himself didn't take too long to emerge. Maybe a half an hour, if that. Greer followed, discreetly, as did the two men in the car and the man she presumed to be Schlafer's Watcher. They came upon a relatively deserted place, and Greer felt free to challenge him. She whispered a comment to Lisa to stay where she was, and then carefully stepped within sensing range. He stopped, clearly confused for a moment. She caught a glance at his Watcher, who was himself trying to figure out who Schlafer was sensing.

Greer was careful to keep her back to the Watcher - she wasn't worried about the intelligence agents, but she was worried about being identified by the Organization before she had a chance to fight him. It was bad enough that she was going to be identified after she fought him.

He swung around warily, then stopped after she stepped out of the shadows.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Georgina Lewis. And I've come for your head."

He laughed unexpectedly. "So you see fit to challenge me."

She shrugged. "It's the Game. Why else?"

"Why else, indeed? I'm flattered that you've heard of me."

"I've heard of you, all right. And I've come for you."

"Good. Let's make this short, shall we?"

"Fine by me."

They both drew their swords and commenced their fight.

It didn't take long for the police to come. Greer looked at her opponent. "Kennington Park. Midnight, in two days."

He nodded, and they both fled.

****

General Damon glared at the woman before him. She looked back, hostile.

"I've got a very reliable report of two people swordfighting. One of them was Schlafer; I presume the long brown haired woman in the trenchcoat that was fighting him was you?"

"Of course it was," Greer said angrily. "I found him. I followed him. I challenged him. I realize that you may not be familiar with it, but this is how our Game is played. We fight each other; we kill each other. That is who we are. It's as much a part of what we are as our healing. For that matter, your son's inability to kill is part of who he is. It's part of the package, for both of us."

"Answer me one question: why is it called the Game?"

"I have no idea. Both Watchers and Immortals have plenty of theories on that. Some think it's because only one person can win it. Some think it's an ironic title - fun and games it certainly isn't, unless you enjoy taking other people's heads, which some do. I could give you plenty of theories, and all or none of them could be right. Neither Watchers nor Immortals know the ultimate reason for the game - we don't even know what the winner gets."

"So you're fighting for a reason you can't understand."

"Yes. And soldiers don't always know either. Does the Charge of the Light Brigade ring any bells? They didn't know, either."

General Damon was frustrated. "So, now our bomber is loose, he hasn't returned to his flat, and you shot up our one chance!"

Greer smiled at him. "No, I haven't."

"What do you mean?"

"I know exactly where he's going to be- in two days' time."

Damon felt his jaw drop. "How do you know that?"

The Immortal shrugged. "Before we were so rudely interrupted, I challenged him. Before we parted, I named a time and place. He'll be there."

"And where will he be?"

"In Kennington Park. Two days from now, at 12:15 am."

"Good. If you're right, and he does show up, we'll have him."

"You'll have him. Trust me."

Damon nodded. He shuffled some forms and stood up. "I'll get you a ride, if you want."

"Well, if you can, I want to talk to Adam."

"I'm sure that can be arranged," Damon said. He picked up the phone, and, minutes later, Greer disappeared off with Adam.

After they had left, Damon picked up the phone and said, "We have a location for the bomber..."

****

Greer found herself very relieved to be away from Damon. She regretted lying about the exact time that Schlafer would be there. However, she figured that by the time that the intelligence agencies would be there, she and Schlafer would have time for a decent fight. She might even win.

"You're awfully quiet," Adam said. She looked around wildly, and then realized that the teen had come in with a glass of water, which he offered to her.

"Sorry, Adam. I guess I'm reflecting on my argument with General Damon."

"Want to talk about it?"

"Why not?" Greer replied. "I just thought that since he's used to you guys doing extraordinary things, that he'd accept what I am, and what I do."

****

Adam looked at the young woman that was sitting on the bed. "What did you do?"

Before Greer could answer, he heard Megabyte. _What's Dad so mad about?_

_I don't know. Greer's awfully upset, though._

"I challenged the guy to a duel. I didn't mean to actually begin fighting, but we ended up that way. And then, of course, we were interrupted."

"You didn't mean to fight?"

Greer shrugged, and appeared to be collecting her thoughts. "I've been an Immortal for two years, Adam. I'm a baby by Immortal standards - and I really don't know how to fight or how to deal with another Immortal. Schlafer is only the fifth Immortal that I've met in that time. I killed my first one in self-defense."

"So, it got out of hand," Adam replied calmly, hoping his influence would calm her.

"You could say that. You could also say that it's in our nature to get into fights - there are very few pacifist Immortals, and no one can explain how they missed the influence of the Game. I can explain it even less, now. I was just ready to fight, whether I knew it or not."

_Hold on a minute - Dad seems happier now._

"I think General Damon might understand more than you think," Adam said gently.

"I wouldn't think so, Adam. He understands mundane things - he can understand bombing plots and things like that. But he's only been recently exposed to the extraordinary. I don't think he understands what you folks are really all about, and you're easier to explain than us. Immortals, he has no clue about."

"I can understand," Adam said. "You're not as difficult to understand as you may think."

"I think you do, Adam. But then, you're used to it; you've had time to adjust, and you deal with it all the time. You're like a Watcher - we're extraordinary, but understandable to them."

Adam nodded.

"You're the future," Greer continued absently. "We're the past. The Watchers record history, the Immortals live it. But you guys have yet to come, and I hope to live to the day where there are lots and lots of you around. So that I could be assured that no matter what we did to the world, there'd be peace."

The teenager thought for a few moments, and then replied. "But you haven't killed each other completely off yet."

"Not for lack of trying, we haven't. If our Game lasts more than about fifty years more, I'll be very surprised."

"And you said there were pacifist Immortals, too."

"A small minority, Adam. Too small. I can name them on the fingers of one hand. Darius, for example. You would have liked him, he was reportedly a very nice person, did a lot of good in the world. But there are a lot of amoral or simply evil Immortals out there. No, we'll fight to the end. We'll have no choice, regardless of our personal inhibitions. Our lives are ruled by violence. A lot of people were reckless before they became Immortal, and I was no exception. It's in our biology, just like your abilities are in yours."

Adam shook his head.

****

It was 11:50 PM by the time Greer got to Kennington Park. Setting her husband on lookout for both Schlafer's Watcher and the Intelligence people, she casually roamed into the park, looking for a sufficiently deserted spot. Feeling a familiar shiver run down her spine, she turned around.

"Thank you for coming," she said.

Schlafer shrugged as he circled her. "Our fight was interrupted, and I finish what I start. Answer me something: why?"

"Antony."

"Ah, a paramour of his," Schlafer said, raising his sword.

Greer's blade met his, and they began to fight.

****

Near the edge of the park, General Damon was conferring with Michael, who had been waiting for him. It seemed that Greer had come out earlier than expected. Or at least, earlier than expected by the Intelligence personnel. Michael had explained that duels often came earlier than expected. It was just that it was so normal for both him and Greer to expect earlier duels that they had forgotten to explain to the Intelligence agents about it.

"I doubt the fight's started anyway, she tends to babble," he had said before refusing to speak further.

Adam had come there at General Damon's request, mainly because the General had thought that he could help. He watched Damon coordinate the agents as they spread out through the park.

Somewhere, out there, there was a fight going on. Adam knew that Greer was going to do it. Although he didn't understand her need to fight and kill, he understood her.

She may have killed, but she was no killer.

****

Greer parried Schlafer's blow. He had gotten better since 1982, just on the swordfighting aspect alone. She paid minute attention to what he was doing, knowing full well that he would have more than one dirty trick up his sleeve.

There it was - a slight movement to her left. She moved purposefully away from the arrow, trying to make sure her opponent got hit. But he was ready for it, and refused to go in the right direction.

Fortunately for her, and unfortunately for him, he made a mistake. While he was paying attention to not getting hit, she spotted a vulnerable spot under his ribs.

She slashed, and he instinctively half-bowed over. In that moment, she crashed into him, knocking him into the ground. He was stunned, but she was able to get up. Taking advantage of his prone, stunned form, she raised her sword up high.

"Greer, wait!"

She turned at the sound of the voice.

****

Adam found himself deeply concerned about Greer. Unlike the agents, Damon, and Michael, however, he could do something about it.

He made sure he found an isolated spot, and then disappeared...

Only to reappear near Greer and another man. Adam quickly ducked out of the way as the two combatants fought, completely oblivious to their surroundings.

He saw Greer wound the man and knock him over.

He saw her raise her sword.

And he had to intervene.

"Greer, wait!" he yelled.

****

Adam was running up to her. Keeping an eye on both her prone opponent, and the approaching Australian, she scowled. "Adam, go away. I respect your traditions, please respect mine. Don't interfere in the Game."

Her opponent was raising an eyebrow. Greer glared at him and knocked him unconscious.

"Do you have to kill?" Adam asked.

"I thought we went over this already. Yes. It's the Game."

"But you told me that you don't have to kill. You told me about those who resisted the pull of the Game."

"I'm no Darius, Adam."

"No, but you're not a killer. You killed once, in self-defense. Don't kill again because you can."

"Adam, he has to be killed. He has to die. He is a killer - both Immortals and mortals have died by his hands."

"That's what the justice system is for. He'll be tried for the bombings. They can connect them to him, now."

"And then what, Adam? He won't age. If you try to kill him, he won't permanently die."

"No, but it's a start. You called us the future. But you have a chance to live much longer than we can! You say you're no Darius - but you can be! You just need to give it a chance."

Greer sighed, as she found herself being swayed by Adam's arguments. "I'll try, Adam," she said. "Can you get us out of here?"

The teen smiled. "I never thought you'd ask."

****

Several nights later, Greer found herself having dinner with General Damon, Adam, Megabyte, and Lisa.

"I'm sorry your husband couldn't make it," Damon said.

Greer speared several potato slices before replying. "That's okay. He's in France at the moment. He's got something important over there. Watcher crisis of some kind."

"I thought that you were both ex-Watchers," Lisa said.

"We are. It's just that he went to see if Schlafer's Watcher had seen Adam's little appearing and disappearing acts, and since he was still in relative good standing, and spoke French, he got recruited. So right now he's in Paris helping find a particularly nasty Immortal who got a copy of a disk of some kind. I think it will blow over."

"Did he find out about Adam?" Lisa asked.

"He wasn't able to. He wasn't able to get access to the report on our second fight. All we know is that I got ID'd somewhere in the process. Oh, and both fights got classified as being mortal-interrupted."

"Well, at least Schlafer is under arrest."

"You better get him in jail for a very long term, General," Greer said. "He knows that Adam knows about us, and he may think that Adam is my boyfriend or whatever. He may be in danger. Although that may not be a problem with Adam's abilities."

"Let's hope everything settles," Damon said.

"We can only hope it does," Greer said. She reached into a pocket and retrieved a piece of paper. "Oh, Lisa, he gave this to me for you just before he left. It's the number for the group of Watchers here in London. He told them about you, and they agreed that you'd make a suitable candidate." Lisa took the piece of paper from Greer. "Thank you," she said.

"You're going to go and become a Watcher?" Damon asked, apparently amazed.

The other two must have been saying the same thing telepathically, for she looked at all of them. "Greer and Michael have been talking to me about it for the past few days. I think it would be interesting."

Greer smiled. "We may have left, but that doesn't mean we can't see talent when we encounter it."

When everyone was finished discussing this, the four of them continued eating. Greer leaned back and considered her new friends. With luck, all of them would survive.

With luck.

End.

 


End file.
